


Just Say You're Sorry

by Naughty_Yorick



Series: Taagnus Week 2019 [1]
Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Bickering, Confessions, M/M, happy ending ofc, jealousy (but only a little bit), rated teen cos swears, talking about feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-13
Updated: 2019-11-13
Packaged: 2021-01-30 04:17:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,351
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21422056
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Naughty_Yorick/pseuds/Naughty_Yorick
Summary: Taako’s got something to say. Magnus is determined to hear him say it. Written for Taagnus week on Tumblr for the prompt "Talking about feelings".
Relationships: Magnus Burnsides/Taako
Series: Taagnus Week 2019 [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1544320
Comments: 2
Kudos: 47
Collections: The Taagnus Week Collection





	Just Say You're Sorry

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, so. Y'all may recognise this. I've decided (in my infinite wisdom) to split my prompts for Taagnus week into separate fics as they get really wordy the longer the week goes on. Sorry for these two duplicates!

“Look, Taako; just  say  it, alright!”

“I don’t know what you want me to say, dude.”

“We  _ both  _ know you’re gonna say it eventually, so just get it out of the way.”

Taako continues to walk away from him, striding across the quad towards their rooms.

“You don’t need to follow me, you know,” he calls over his shoulder at Magnus hurrying after him, “It’s  _ fine." _

“It’s not…” Taako stalks through one of the huge glass doors and it nearly slams into Magnus’ face as he follows him, “…it’s not about being  _ fine,  _ Taako!”

Taako’s stopped responding, the only sound the echoing  _ click  _ of his heels against the tiled floors. This doesn’t deter Magnus.

“I’m not going to just let you get away with this  _ again,  _ Taako! You can’t just  _ do  _ shit and then not think about the consequences! You can’t  _ do  _ that anymore!”

They’re nearly at their dormitory now, and Taako stops at the huge wooden doors that lead to the sleeping quarters and spins around, his face furious.

“I can  _ do  _ whatever the hell I want, Magnus. Just like  _ you, _ apparently.”

“Actually, ya  _ can’t. _ That’s what being on a team is all about! That’s what being…” he catches himself, pauses, holds the words he was about to say in his chest, “… that’s what being  _ friends  _ is about, Taako.”

For a moment, Taako looks guilty, but it passes quickly, and he throws himself through the double doors. Magnus is ready for him this time, catching the doors before they can slam back on him, and then he’s following him again. When they make it to the door that leads to their living area, Taako attempts to dart through without him, but Magnus shoves his foot in the way, jamming it, pushing himself into the communal lounge.

“Look, I  _ know  _ you wanna say it.”

“Yeah? How d'you know that?”

“Because if it wasn’t bothering you, you wouldn’t have run off like that, and you wouldn’t be avoiding me. You only get all cagey when shit actually matters to you.”

“I’m not…”

“What’s stopping you, dude? We  _ both  _ know!”

“We… what? You  _ know _ ?” He looks, suddenly, stunned - suddenly vulnerable, unable to hide it.

“Well  _ yeah, _ dude! I know when shit’s bothering you. So why not just say it and we can go back to the bar?”

Taako turns his back on him and grips onto the back of the couch, hiding his face. 

“What if…” he speaks down, muttering into his chest, “What if you don’t say it back?”

Magnus blinks. His first thought - his first instinct - is to be defensive, to remind Taako  _ who, _ exactly, just acted like a complete dick in the BoB bar, but… Taako is suddenly quiet, shrunk in on himself, and the bombastic approach he usually takes to their arguments has vanished. Magnus doesn’t have the heart to challenge him - not when he’s like this.

“Sure I will.” he says, stepping forwards, trying not to sound as confused as he feels. 

He pauses, then places a hand softly on Taako’s shoulder. “Hey…” he begins, but the even the gentle touch makes Taako jump, his breath hitching, and almost instinctively he vaults over the back of the couch, away from Magnus, landing on the rug in the centre of the room.

“Jeez, I didn’t mean to—" 

"I love you, okay! Happy?”

The floor drops out from beneath Magnus’ feet. He feels like he’s falling - or floating. He’s left suspended in the universe, alone apart from Taako - Taako and those words, spinning around his head. 

“I… you…  _ what? _ ”

“Shit.”

Taako now looks truly panicked, and Magnus realises what he’s about to do a second before he does it. Now it’s his turn; he leaps over the couch and barrels into the wizard, grabbing him around his waist and slamming them both onto the floor, interrupting the spell he was trying to channel.

“Don’t you  _ dare  _ Blink outta this one, dude." 

Taako struggles against him, but he’s holding him down, refusing to let go. 

"Fucking… let me go!”

“No! You love me? You're… you’re  _ in love  _ with me?”

“I… I don't…For fucks sake.” He stops struggling, goes limp in Magnus’ grip. Magnus lets him go, and he rolls onto the carpet, face up, hair splayed out around him.

“So that's… that’s why you were being a dick at the bar? You were… what,  _ jealous?" _

“I wasn't… that’s not  _ fair, _ dude!”

“Oh, sure, but scaring off that girl was  _ totally  _ fair, right? Coming and ruining my  _ perfectly nice  _ conversation?”

“I didn’t… I was just…”

“Why didn’t you just  _ tell  _ me?”

“Well, obviously…” Taako pushes himself up, folds his legs beneath him so he’s sitting cross-legged on the floor, “… obviously because it’s stupid and you’d just be  _ sad  _ for me and, yeah… that is  _ not  _ my scene. I don’t want a pity party.”

Magnus sits up next to him, positions himself so they’re just inches apart, the space between them tingling.

“Well maybe if you’d told me I’d have carried on flirting with  _ you  _ instead of that girl, you dork." 

Taako blinks. "What?”

“For someone who keeps calling himself the world’s greatest wizard or whatever, you’re pretty dumb, dude.”

“But you don't… you’ve never… you’ve never even  _ said  _ anything!”

“Neither have you!”

“Look, this is not… I’d have  _ known  _ if you were into me.”

“Really?”

“Obviously!”

“Even  _ Merle’s  _ figured it out.”

_ "What?!" _

Taako looks horrified, and Magnus allows himself a smug grin, moving closer. “He called me out  _ weeks  _ ago. He told me to either quit flirting with you or just tell you. I ignored him.”

Taako sits in silence for a moment, taking the information in. "…How did I not know?”

Magnus shrugs. “Same reason I didn’t know?” Taako doesn’t respond – just looks at him, raises his eyebrows. “Because we’re idiots.” Magnus sighs. “I mean, stupidly… I was trying to  _ get over _ you, man. I figured Merle was probably right. Just took me a while to realise.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah.”

Taako unfolds his legs, spreads them out in front of him, idly knocking his feet together. “How long have you been… getting over me?”

“Um…” Magnus fiddles with his hands awkwardly, “A day?”

“Oh, Pan,” Taako looks at him, disbelieving, “Hence the…”

“The girl, yeah.”

“I ruined my own closure.”

“Something like that.”

They sit in silence for a moment, then both speak at once.

“Look, Taako, I-”

“What did you think I-”

“What?”

“Wait, I…”

Magnus groans and rubs his face with his hands. “Go on?”

“What did you think I was gonna say? Earlier?”

“I mean, I wasn’t expecting you to tell me you love me!”

“Yeah, I  _ figured." _

“I thought you were going to apologise. For being a dick.”

“Oh.” He pauses. “Okay. Yeah. I was a dick.”

“And..?”

“…and I'm… sorry. Urgh.”

Magnus smiles softly at him, leaning in, pressing their shoulders together. He can feel Taako stiffen beside him, and for a moment he’s worried he’s going to run again - or cast Blink and vanish altogether - but instead he lets out a long breath and slumps onto him, resting his weight on him. Magnus peers at him, trying to gauge his reaction, but he’s staring down at the floor, at his nails, anywhere but at Magnus.

“Taako.” He gives the elf a little nudge with his elbow, and he looks up. His hair - now a messy cloud around his head - hides most of his face. “S'okay.” He says. “I forgive you.”

He reaches up and pushes Taako’s hair out of his face. Taako leans into the touch, letting his head rest in Magnus’ hand. 

“Magnus, I-”

But his words are smothered against Magnus’ lips. Magnus feels him smile into the kiss, hears the near-silent sigh that escapes him. There’s a kind of soft familiarity to it, and soon Magnus finds his lips moving against Taako’s like he’s done it a thousand times before, like he’s following a well-known path, a memorised dance. It’s a gentle kiss - and over too soon, as Magnus leans back to look at Taako’s wide eyes, his pink lips. 

“Ah, shit,” He says, feeling himself blush, “I think I love you too.”


End file.
